The present invention relates to article hangers and, particularly, to a clamping device usable on garment hangers which device has a one-piece body and handle portions to facilitate opening and basically concealed spring means to bias the jaws of the clamp into article gripping position.
Clamping devices of this type have a wide range of uses including garment hangers and devices for suspending articles for display. Molded plastic garment hangers having integral article clamping means have been long known and widely used including those having a pair of pivoted jaws held closed by an integral latching device. Such a device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,745,616 entitled CLAMP WITH IMPROVED LATCH, issued July 17, 1973. Also, known and extensively used in the apparel field are garment hangers having clamping devices which are spring biased to closed position. Such a hanger is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,767,092 entitled GARMENT CLAMPING HANGER WITH SLIDABLE LOCKING CLIP, issued Oct. 23, 1973. Also known are article hangers having the so-called "clothes-pin" type clamps which consist of two or more pieces. Examples of this type of articles clamping device are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,666,240, entitled CLIP FOR CLOTHES RACKS, issued Jan. 19, 1954, 2,665,466 entitled HINGED MEMBER RESTRAINING MEANS, issued Jan. 24, 1954, and Des. 212,444 entitled CLAMP FOR CLOTHES HANGERS, DISPLAY BOARDS, OR SIMILAR APPLICATIONS, issued Oct. 15, 1968.